For this walking week you will be based in the historical town of Lagos, once the home to Henry the Navigator in a 4* Albergaria and each day we will travel by minibus to visit different habitats.

None of the walks is particularly difficult or long as the emphasis is on looking at and discovering the spring flowers.

This is a week for plant lovers not serious botanists.

Group Tour - Guided Spring Flowers

The wide variety of soil types, diverse habitats and the mild and sunny climate all combine to produce an astonishing range of flowering plants and shrubs in the Algarve. These are at their best from February to June when the whole landscape is enriched by blazes of colour from the highest mountains to the coastal cliffs. There are literally thousands of species to delight the eye. Many are endemics and not always easy to find in the standard flower books.

DAY 1
Arrival in the Algarve and transfer to Lagos - welcome dinner in the evening.

DAY 2
The Budens Wetlands. A short drive takes us to the start of our day which begins with a walk along a limestone escarpment offering good views over the countryside before dropping down to the Budens wetlands. We continue on along the coast to the fishing village of Salema where we can enjoy a late afternoon drink by the sea. Along the limestone escarpment and coastal path we should see a various bee orchids, the mirror orchid, hooped petticoat narcissi, the tiny Barbary nut ‘iris’, several varieties of cistus, French lavender plus the ever present Bermuda buttercup. Through the wetlands paper white narcissi adorn the banks of the river together with irises while pyramid orchids maybe spotted on the banks along the path. (7miles / 10.2km)

DAY 3
The Serra de Monchique. We have time for coffee before setting off down the valley. Here Canary oak and Lusitanian oak are very much in prominence together with cork oak and eucalyptus with orange, lemon and cherry trees in sheltered spots. Between the trees there is a distinctive undergrowth of the various cistus, the arbutus bush, two types of heather (Erica arborea & Erica australis) plus the distinctive Mediterranean spurge. The walk takes us down to the fertile valley floor where the local mountain folk practice small scale farming using traditional methods. Here life has changed very little over the centuries and this becomes a walk back in time (6miles / 9km)

DAY 4
Esteveira Nature Reserve. Today we drive to the west coast and the Cape St. Vincent Natural Park where we stop for a short time in the old Moorish town of Aljezur for a coffee before another 15 minute drive brings us to the coast at Esteveira and the tiny nature reserve perched high on the cliff tops. The nature reserve protects an area of sand dunes which is home to many rare plants including Antirrhinum major the ancestor of the cultivated Snapdragon and large spectacular Broomrape parasite species of Leguminosa, the large yellow restharrow and the curious Portuguese crowberry shrub (Corema album) that is only found in an Atlantic dune habitat. (4miles / 6.5km)

DAY 5
Free The Odelouca and Arade Rivers with a visit to the Moorish capital Silves. We drive to the hamlet of Vale de Lama to start our walk around the limestone knoll ‘Ilha do Rosario’ which is bounded on two sides by the Odelouca and Arade rivers and we follow an old watercourse (levada) above the rivers before completing out circuit along quiet country lanes. Beside the river we may see French lavender, rosemary, the brilliant blue lithospernum, the gentle mauve Jerusalem sage, bee orchids and the pale pink naked man orchid together with large bushes of kermes oak; for the eagle-eyed amongst you there is an opportunity to see the scrambling ‘fly trap’ (Arisotolochia boetica). Along the country lanes carob, almond, olive and Japanese loquat guard our way and nestled in the damper areas the Peruvian Scilla and periwinkle may be spotted. (6miles / 9km)

DAY 6
Cape St. Vincent. We drive along the Sagres peninsula and make a short stop in the small town of Vila do Bispo for coffee and a visit to the 18th century church which is well known for its classic blue and white tiles (azulejos) and decorative fresco paintings of the nave vault. Then we drive to Cape St Vincent the area around Cape St Vincent has many plants that are endemic, thriving in the wild windswept landscape which is renowned as a classic site for biologists. On the south-facing cliff tops, the plant assemblages are notable for herbs including the wiry shrub Salsola brevifolia and rounded mounds of thyme (Thymus camphoratus). The cliff slopes have more shrubby vegetation with abundant sweet smelling senna (Coronilla valentine), the ‘cucumber plant’ (Sanguisorba minor) and the foetid rue (Ruta angustifolia). (5 miles / 8km)

DAY 7
A farewell dinner in the evening. Transfer back to your departure point.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Arrival Point: Airport – Funchal
Dates: March 14th 2009
Cost per person: £480.00, $960.00 or 680euro

INCLUDED
7 nights accommodation in a twin / double room with en-suite facilities
7 breakfasts
5 picnic lunches
2 dinners (first and last nights)
transfer to and from airport
transport to and from each walk
Walking guide – Dr Julie Statham who has extensively studied the flora of the Algarve

NOT INCLUDED
Flights, travel insurance, 1 lunch & 5 dinners

CONTACT
info@portugalwalks.com

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